Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Rahul Sharma on Monday indicted five police officials, including three DSP-rank officers, in the Special Investigation Team (SIT)'s report in the Jyoti murder case.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Rahul Sharma on Monday indicted five police officials, including three DSP-rank officers, in the Special Investigation Team (SIT)'s report in the Jyoti murder case.

Deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) Virender Sangwan, Ajay Rana and Suresh Kaushik and assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) Surinder and Jai Singh have been indicted. The SIT was formed to find out lapses of police officials in investigations and depositions in court, during the trial.

Jyoti was found dead on November 22, 2012, in Sector 21 in a pool of blood with her head crushed.Doon MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary and 11 others were acquitted in the case on September 11 and on September 16 a SIT was formed under the DCP of which ACP Dharamveer and deputy district attorney Gurpal Singh were also the members.

The report was submitted to Haryana director general of police (DGP) SN Vashisht for further action. "Regarding the ASI-rank officials, the DCP can take action at his level. I am examining the role of DSP-rank officers. I have got the report on Monday evening," said DGP Vashisht.

Sources said DSP Sangwan was indicted as there had been lapses on his part during investigation. Also, he had told the court in his statement that it did not come to his mind to investigate the last two calls made by Jyoti on the night of murder before she switched her mobile handset off. One call was made to a number registered in name of Jot and other number was registered in name of Jogita.

He also did not make Madan Lal, brother of Chaudhary, an accused in the case, though he admitted in the court that he had given shelter to Chaudhary.

Sangwan had told the court that site plans which were prepared during recoveries from the houses of Dharampal and Paramjeet were prepared by his reader ASI Jai Singh. But Jai Singh refused to own them, so judge termed the recovery doubtful.

Regarding DSP Ajay Rana, the court had commented that he deposed saying that the print of picture of Ishu's wedding where Chaudhary was present was taken from a computer but it was not a print from a computer and so there was a concoction in his statement. The picture was crucial to establish relationship between Chaudhary and Jyoti.

Regarding ASI Surinder, the court had pointed out that inspector Naveen Sandhu had categorically stated that he, along with ASI Surinder, had seen and overheard accused Harbhajan Singh, brother of Chaudhary, giving some money to an unidentified fellow and asking him to deliver the same to the accused MLA. However, when the ASI stepped in the witness box he failed to utter even a single word in this regard.

DSP Suresh Kaushik was indicted as there had been lapses on his part when he was part of SIT in the case and could not collect enough evidence regarding the association of Pankaj Bhandari and Ashish, who were accused of providing SIMs on fake IDs to the Doon MLA.

DCP recommends appeal

The DCP has recommended for filing appeal in the case. He has agreed with the recommendations made by district attorney APS Parmar in the case where it was pointed out that trial court has erred in acquitting Ram Kumar and others. The final decision for filing appeal will be taken by district magistrate SS Phulia.